The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 returns June 25: here are six ways it's reinventing itself

Giulia Sgarbi

13/02/2019

Save the date: the 18th edition of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, will be unveiled on Tuesday 25th June in Singapore. Discover how the Oscars of global gastronomy is innovating in 2019.

1. A new home for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants… in Asia

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants set off on a global tour in 2016, and over the last three years, it has hosted its main ceremony in New York, Australia and the Basque Country of Spain. 2019 marks a historical moment for the brand as the first year that the awards programme is hosted in an Asian city. Singapore has long been considered a hotspot for top-class gastronomy and drinks, with outstanding restaurants such as Odette (No.28 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018), Burnt Ends, Waku Ghin and Les Amis, as well as acclaimed bars and famous hawker stalls. In June 2019, the city-state will welcome the world’s best chefs for a week of exclusive gastronomic celebrations and events.

2. An iconic venue for the awards ceremony

The highly anticipated list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 will be revealed to chefs, media and partners at an awards ceremony taking place at Marina Bay Sands on Tuesday 25th June. Fronting the Marina Bay in Singapore, the iconic integrated resort includes over 2,500 hotel rooms, an expansive shopping mall, an observation deck with panoramic views of the city-state and as many as 45 restaurants. The gala awards will be hosted at the Sands Theatre within the resort and will be livestreamed for the public on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Facebook page and on S.Pellegrino’s content hub Fine Dining Lovers.

Marina Bay Sands in Singapore (image: Marina Bay Sands)

3. A 50/50 voting Academy

For the first time, the list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 will be the result of the votes of a gender-balanced voting Academy. More than 1,000 experts from all over the world – including chefs, food journalists and well-travelled gourmets – cast their votes to determine the winner of The World’s Best Restaurant 2019 title and individual prizes such as the Miele One To Watch Award, the elit™ Vodka World’s Best Female Chef and the American Express Icon Award. The event will also see the official launch of the Best of the Best programme, which features the restaurants that have reached the No.1 spot in the list and are no longer eligible for the annual vote, including Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana and the Roca brothers’ El Celler de Can Roca.

4. Enjoy a glimpse into the minds of the best chefs in the world with MasterClasses

The extensive event programme for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 will include a series of unique MasterClasses, providing a one-of-a-kind opportunity for food lovers to gain an insight into the philosophy and techniques of some of the planet’s foremost culinary innovators. Tickets will be available so consumers can witness the creative process behind iconic dishes – stay tuned for more details on how to get involved.

Clare Smyth demonstrates how to make her dish Lamb Carrot at #50BestTalks in San Sebastian

50 Best’s thought-leadership series #50BestTalks, presented by Miele, will debut a fresh format on the evening of Sunday 23rd June 2019. The event – which will feature some of the greatest food personalities of this generation – will be open to the public, with VIP tickets likely to be available offering exclusive backstage access and the possibility of tasting some of the chefs’ creations. #50BestTalks will take the shape of a live stage performance, with more exciting details soon to be announced.

6. Get involved in the one-off collaborative dinners

To celebrate the best in global gastronomy, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants will host a series of one-off collaborative ‘four-hands’ dinners, bringing together some of the most acclaimed culinary talent in the world. The dinners will provide another opportunity for food-loving consumers to get involved with The World’s 50 Best Restaurants by taking part in unique dining experiences that will unite chefs from the opposite corners of the globe.

Header: Singapore skyline (image: Singapore Tourism Board)

While you wait to see all the surprises of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019, watch the highlights from the 2018 event programme in the Basque Country:

Giulia joined the 50 Best team in 2017, after studying communications in Italy, Spain and the UK, and starting her editorial career writing hotel reviews in London. As Content Creator, she contributes to 50 Best’s coverage of restaurant news, features and events worldwide, produces live event coverage and manages the liaison with chefs and bartenders. Giulia is also a qualified volleyball coach, speaks three languages and equally loves writing, travelling and eating.